The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1887-07-16
MEADOWS Anp swAMPs.
Cultivation Necessary to Bring Them Into
Tillsble State.


Cultivation Necessary to Bring Them Into |
TiIlsble State.
There are vast tracts of meadow |
lands in nearly every section of the
country, which. with little cultiva-
ton could be brought into tillsble
state. The iowlands on farms are
sma meadows. or. at least, the condi-
ton of the soil is the same as found In
meadow bottoms. Every farmer knows
that the great difficulty in cultiyating
such lands arises frorh the abundance
Of water which at all seasons oil TIE
year saturates the soil. But by judi
cious system of drainage this difficulty
can easily be overcome, did the land
converted into good grass-fields, pro-
dueing an abundance Of this profitable
crop. The second year after the land
is drained, the grass should not be
moved of, but the whole field burned
over as clean as possible The ashes
left on the top soil will enrich it with
the ingredients of plant food that are
most needed, and the coarse stalks of
the meadow grass will be. destroyed.
Ii the land is then turned over with
the plow, and timiothy-seed sown. the
Soil will be in fair way to produce
paying crops of hay in short time.
The timothy-seed should be sown quite
thick, six quarts to the acre, the farmer
going back and forth several times. in
order to plant it in every nook and
crevice.
When the meadow is a swamp, full
of large and small trees. the work of
retaining ID is more difficult. After
thetrees and bushes have been cut
down, and the Brushwdod burned. the
labor of cleaning the land has just be-
gun. The stunips and roots of trees
are the most difficult distractions that
you have to encounter. The larger
stumps are easily blown out by dyna.
mite, or extracted with strong stump
pullers, but the long foots and under
ground branches which ruin and twist
in every conceivable direction will be
the most aggravating. The land is too
rough to use pillow, and it would be
| impossible to go over the field and dig
out all distractions with some sharp
| implement. The best plan is to con-
struct rude instrument out of an old
| tree, which can be done with but little
cost and labor. Take an old crotch OF
a tree, half foot in diameter, with
each prong five or six feet in length.
ii m no fxxrn qndg nj
the crotch. and insert strong iron teeth
all along the two prongs of the crotch,
taking care not to place them too close
together, nor putting any in the cross
piece. If teeth are placed in the cross
piece they will be liable to catch and
cling to the rough roots, and cause con-
siderable extra labor. and even break
the rude harrow. To make the rude
instrument moro effective, it would bt
we'll to bend strong oak or hickory
bow across the hind ends of the har
row, so that the instrument could bt
lifted over large distractions, or press
ed deeper into the soil when occasion
required If this instrument is drawn
across the field, backward and for
ward. very few of the deep roots viii
escape the sharp teeth, which will Gu
them in two, and bring them nearer t.
the surface.
When the field has been narrowed
sufficiently, the stones and roots thai
have been thrown UP should be carried
off the field and the whole cleaned NJ
as neatly as possible. Large roots tina
have been brought to the surface Blu
not broken by the teeth of the harrow
owing to their size, should be cut Ii
two by an axe or some other sharp i'm
plement. Small stumps that ESCAPED
your eye at first will be brought +
light, which must be extracted in som
/ way before the harrow is put on tn
: land again. The teeth of the harroN
will need Strengthening by this time
and probably new ones put in. Han
rowing the field the second time wi
not be such difficult work as the first
, There will be less distractions to ovei
come, and the roots will all be fine
and easier broken by the teeth. Whe
finished repeat as before-remove a
stones and sticks with the hands.
Usually farmers have one or NOR
old plows ON the place, which can b
used very conveniently in turning owe
, the top soil of the swamp land. Th
| work of blowing must necessarily b
| very slow and laborious, and the wes
y and tear on the instrument will be s
/ great that the pillow will be of littl
q use when it is laid aside. The furrov
> can not all be in a straight line; it woul
: be impossible to attempt to do tina
4 and many go so far as to plow an
+ way, cross-wise, straight and angula
So long as the land is turned over, an
the soil pulverized for several inch'
or foot down, the work is sufficien
Timothy seed scattered over til
n field thus worked will catch very we
The stalks will grow strong and hard
It and choke out all weeds. The first ye
V the yield will be quite large but
e would be unwise policy to put a m
IS chine in the field. If any thing is
$ be done with the grass, turn few Ca
Il tie into the lots and let them Craze {
Is it. If too many are not turned lose
e the field, they will not rob the ne
h land of the plant life which the decor
d posed grass is intended to form for
n and their hoofs will serve to cut up t
e. roots still left in the soil. Their m
n nure will also be beneficial to the Ian
Is The second year you can be sure OF
,e good, full crop of hay, one of the be
IS paying crops in America, for next
n grain hay ranks second in importan
$ among crops raised in the United STATE
q Geo. e. Walsh, in Western Plot0D,d
d
h ROAD CONSTRUCTION.